Aware
by Darman700
Summary: He was aware... That come what may... At the end of everything... He would not get his happy ending...


_**Hello everyone, this is not a new chapter. I wrote this story some time ago when I was passing by some hard moments, I put all of my feelings into this one-shot and when I re-read it I found it still had some if not a lot of grammatical errors.**_

 ** _I want this story to be understandable and readable so I am re-uploading the story but edited and revised by my friend and beta Shiloh Aldwin, so if you are reading this I thank you from my heart._**

 ** _I hope you all like this story if you have not read it, and if you have and you wish to re-read it I nope you like the corrections that were made, and that it became more understandable and nice to the imagination._**

* * *

He was aware…

He had watched her for a long time ever since the first day he met her. He was aware of her every movement; the way she frowned when something wasn't right, the way she smiled when tasting her favorite sweets, the way she cried when they failed to save a town from a Grimm attack. He had it all memorized…

Oscar Pine was well aware of his feelings for the said girl with her crimson black hair and sliver eyes carved into his mind…

He was aware…

But that was all he could do…

' _Nothing good would come of it…'_ a saddened voice that was always within him said to himself, ever since he first found out of his feelings for the said girl…

He tried to find loopholes in everything the wise voice within him said, but unfortunately for him, he had not found a single one…

He did not know how much time he had left, or if he had any at all. Ozpin said to him that their souls and consciousness would end up merging. In other words, he would be gone, never to be Oscar again…

Would he become Ozpin? Would he stay as Oscar but just with vast knowledge? Or would they become a new entity entirely? Or would he just…disappear? Those thoughts would haunt him for days, even months. However, he would let them slide when, once again, the voice inside him intervened, telling him it was unwise for him to worry about the future. Even so, he still found himself wondering about these things from time to time…

Still, he was aware…

They had become close – the silver eyed girl and him. From simple acquaintances, to training buddies, to close friends, to something even closer but far from what he wanted. He knew it wasn't brother-sisterly love, though he liked to think that it was. He liked to shatter his own hopes and dreams because…

' _Nothing good would come of it…'_ he reminded himself each and every time he felt his chest tighten from the simple sight of her…

He neglected that he felt jealous when she got too close with Jaune for a mission that involved the two of them only, and they returned closer than ever. It helped that their teams teased them about it…it really ' _helped'…_

He was aware…

That she had come to rely on him more and more, not on the professor inside him, but the real _him_. During their battles together, he successfully had all her styles memorized to a point that she clearly noticed and used in her advantage to create battle tactics. They had battles hand in hand as if they knew each other longer than she knew her team. Even in personal aspects, she began to rely on him. When she got horrible nightmares about Salem, she would seek him for comfort, and when she got into fights with her team or sister, she would seek him to be her ears and voice of reason. Unfortunately, all that did…hurt him even more…

He liked to fool himself, telling himself that she would be happy with someone like Jaune or if she found someone like Ren maybe she could be happy. All these thoughts caused great sadness to the wise but cruel man inside him. He liked to fool himself saying that he would be okay if she loved someone else, if she hugged someone else, if she looked with loving eyes at someone else, if she kissed someone else. Anyone that wasn't – shouldn't be him…

In all his time with all of them, he had become close to only to few: Jaune, Ruby and surprisingly Weiss…

Jaune was his brotherly support, the brother he never had. All of his boy troubles he would go to him, even to hang out. His first overdose of alcohol was with Jaune, and he voiced his concerns that he may disappear. Jaune said that he would never forgive Ozpin if he did that, more so after what had happened with Pyrrha, which was something Jaune had told him in detail, and Oscar would always resent Ozpin for that. Jaune made him feel like he had family…

Weiss was more like a sister. Even though at first she was rough with him from judging his every move, she began to open up to him. One day after training he asked about why she didn't want him to call her by her last name, and instead of a 'Keep your nose in your own business' answer he was expecting, he got the real answer and, in the end, told him everything about her family even if at first it was in bits and pieces. She began to talk more and more to him, and so he would respond back to her with the same coin by telling her about his own family, including his aunt, and what his life was like at the farm. In the end, he felt as if she knew him more than anybody else in the group, and he knew her better than anyone else as well…

Ruby…well, words aren't enough to demonstrate how much she meant to him or how much he would do for her to be safe and happy…

He was aware…

That everyone but the girl in question knew about his hidden feelings for her, and he never neglected it. No one but those close to him like Jaune or Weiss asked him why he didn't tell her, why he wasn't honest with her. Some even told him that maybe she had the same feelings for him. He could only chuckle at the cruelty of it, and when they looked at him oddly he would only state, "Nothing good would come of it." Even though they might disagree they also knew why…

When Qrow confronted him, he tried to give him a push. Apparently everyone wanted to see the boy happy, all but Oscar himself. Qrow told him that he approved of him going out with his dear niece, and he even gave him some pointers and tips, but at the same time warnings. Oscar could only smile somberly and shake his head in defeat…

Qrow asked immediately to speak to Ozpin. Oscar couldn't hear all that Qrow had said to the professor, but when he came back to his own body he only saw Qrow emptying his liquor in one blow. "I'm sorry, Kid…" he could only say to him and leave Oscar to his thoughts…

' _I-I don't know what to say anymore, Oscar…but if you truly wish to seek her…I-I will no longer stop you,'_ the voice inside him said in a guilty tone.

Oscar didn't know what came over him in that moment. Maybe all his pent-up anger and rage, or maybe the fact that he had been nearly forced to keep his feelings hidden for such a long time, though only to now be told, _'It's ok to love'_. He finally snapped…

"No longer stop me?!" he said, rage in his voice evident.

"When have you ever taken my thoughts into consideration?! When have you ever thought about my own feelings?! Ever since you came it's been do this, do that, never thinking about how I feel! You just keep saying I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Well guess what, Ozpin?! SORRY IS NOT GOING TO CUT IT! YOU RUINED ME! And when I thought something special had finally fallen into my life, all you said was 'Nothing good would come of it'! SHATTERING MY FEELINGS AND CASTING THEM ASIDE LIKE YOU ALWAYS HAVE!" Oscar said leaving him out of breath, only silence remained inside his head…

Yes, he was very aware…

That… "I NEVER ASKED FOR ANY OF THIS!" he said with a powerful shout and voice…

' _I truly am sorry…Oscar…Truly…'_ the voice only said…

Oscar could feel the tears running down his cheeks, he could also feel the anger he felt showing through his body language…

"Oscar?" a timid voice came from the door, he turned startled and frightened that someone heard his outburst and freighted that it may have been her. But he relaxed upon seeing who it was…

"Weiss..." he said as he wiped his eyes and tried to calm his ragged breathing.

"I guess you heard, huh…?" he said more of a statement than a question. Weiss just nodded, fully entering the room and closing the door behind her.

"You were lucky the rest were at the campfire. I was just coming here because, well…" she struggled to find the right words.

"You saw Qrow…" he ended the sentence for her, her silence spoke more than anything…

"Is that how it's been for you?" she asked getting closer to him and taking a closer look at his broken spirit.

"I must sound like a cry baby or a pathetic boy, right? We've been at this for how long now? I can't even remember, but even after all of this I can't help but feel remorse. I never asked for any of this, and yet…and yet here I am fighting…killing… and…losing myself…" he said as he went to take a seat at the nearest couch.

Weiss looked at him with a saddened look. They all had chosen to follow this path, the path of a Huntress, to follow Ozpin and Qrow, to save the world and fight the forces of greater evil putting their lives on the line. All but one…the boy – no, the man that now sat in front of her…he had no say in this on whether to come or not… it had always been do or do to him…and none save maybe Ruby had taken that into account. She took a seat next to him.

"I had always thought that you were brave," she said while not looking at him but at the flowers that were neatly placed in a bowl on the desk in the middle of the living room. Oscar looked at her as if she had grown a second head.

She chuckled slightly. "Well, at first I actually thought you were a nuisance and a dork." He smiled at the thought; he could imagine her thinking about him like that at first.

"But as we've travelled and trained together, I learned that you turned out to be stronger than most of us; leaving out the weird professor in your head, you had a stronger spirit…" She turned to look at him and wiped a tear that had fallen from his eyes.

"All of us had trained and prepared willingly for this, but you… you never had, yet you never ceased to amaze me…or all of us in fact. You kept on pushing to your limits and expanding them to even greater heights. You may have even left some of us behind by now," she said with a smile.

Oscar was about to comment that it hadn't been all him but the man inside his head until she continued. "And I know you may say that it's in part thanks to Ozpin, and you maybe be right...but it has also been you. If it weren't for your unwavering spirit, then maybe Ozpin would have been reincarnated again," she said with a small laugh. Even Oscar laughed at that.

Then her face did a 180 turn to a saddened one. "I always wondered what pushed you so far to push your limits. I could never pinpoint it out until I saw it. It was Ruby… you were pushing yourself for her…" Oscar was perplexed, to say the least. Yes, he had his fair share of conversations with Weiss and had gotten close enough to call her a close friend, even more like a sister. But he had never expected her to be so watchful of him.

She just let go a saddened chuckle. Oscar wondered why she was so sad because of this; he thought that everyone knew of his feelings towards Ruby. He couldn't understand the saddened semblance of Weiss…

' _Oh no…'_ the voice inside him finally said. 'Oh no, what?' he asked but never got an answer for Weiss continued to speak.

"At first I found it cute and disgusting. I asked myself why you would push yourself so much for our dunce of a leader until we all found out that you liked her. Then I began to see it as brave and sweet. I won't lie to you, Oscar, I almost began to see you like a prince. The ones you only read in fairy tales; fighting for the princess, becoming stronger to keep her safe…but that's when it all went wrong…" she said as she clenched the end of her skirt with all her might. Oscar wanted to say something but saw it wise to let her speak.

"I began to resent Ruby…" she confessed, Oscar felt his heart stop. _'She couldn't mean…_ '

"At first, I thought it was because she had someone who cared so much for her while I didn't, though it was more like envy on that end. Then she left on the solo mission with Jaune and I saw how close they had gotten when they came back. I thought I would feel the same envy but instead…instead…" she struggled with the words…a single tear left her eyes…

"Weiss…" Oscar said in a low voice.

"Instead I felt relief, so much relief, even more when they started to tease her with him and she got red. I couldn't understand it, none of it…then when it was all done and she got close to you and you looked at her with those expectant eyes, that feeling of resent came back and I finally knew…I knew that I didn't resent her because she had someone who cared so much about her…I began to resent her because I was jealous. I wished it was me whom you looked that way, Oscar…" she said not looking at him, but he could see the tears staining her skirt and her hands shaking at the helm of it.

"I-I never knew that you…" He couldn't finish that sentence for it felt somewhat wrong. Though it should feel like that, right? He saw her as his sister but now…now what?

"That's because you only could see her…you were only aware of her. Yes, you saw me and the rest… but did you really, _really_ _see_ me?" she asked while still not looking at him.

Oscar looked down at the floor, not daring to look at her in the eyes. "No…" he answered honestly and painfully…

Weiss chuckled. "You could have at least thought it over a little bit…" She looked up at him with a sad smile and tears until she wiped her eyes.

"I'm sorry…" he said. What else could he say? I love Ruby? Even he isn't that heartless…

"Curious, huh? Ozpin keeps on telling you that and what did you say?" Weiss said with a stern glance. Oscar just looked stunned.

"Sorry isn't going to cut it, Oscar…" she said gently as she placed her hand on his cheek affectionately and turned his gaze back to her. He was still too stunned to stop her.

"Just like you said, 'I never asked for this'." His eyes widened in realization. Is this how hopeless Ozpin felt to try and fix something that was out of his control? Was he really being so unreasonable to be so angry with him? Because right now he sure as hell was angry at himself for making Weiss cry like this, and it was his fault.

"But it happened, Oscar. I fell for you…unwillingly…unintentionally…and beautifully…I cannot control my feelings. They are what they are…but I accept them… even if you may never accept them. I will cherish them forever…and even if you lose yourself, you will always be a part of me," she said with a firm conviction that shook Oscar.

"Ozpin never asked for any of this as well, I think. Don't you think he's grown tired of ruining his hosts' lives? Don't you think he just wishes to pass on as well? If only it were that simple for him as it is for all of us. I could never be in your shoes, Oscar, but it hurts me to see you broken or in pain. I won't say he is forgiven for everything, but at least try to understand him and make him understand you. If not for him… please do it for me…and if not for me…do it for her, because I know that if she sees you like this it would hurt her as well." Oscar wanted to say no, he wanted to keep on being angry at Ozpin, but he found that he just couldn't any longer. How could he? After all that Weiss said, he was almost sure that she was right, she almost always was…he just nodded.

Weiss smiled genuinely before saying, "Thank you, and I know I can never have you. Your heart belongs to her after all…" she said sadly.

"But…" She got closer to him and he found that he didn't have it in him to stop her. She left her hand at his cheek…

"At least let me have this…" she said as she closed the gap in between them, closing her eyes and pressing her lips to his. A sweet, gentle and tender first kiss. His eyes widened upon contact and his fingertips went numb, he felt as if electricity coursed throughout his whole body while also fearing his heart would jump out of his chest.

He was aware…

And he heard a gasp coming from the door. Both he and Weiss separated immediately and he turned to see who the intruder was. His breath left his body, his blood ran cold, all the heat he had felt in the moment Weiss had kissed left him without a trace, for in the doorway stood none other than Ruby Rose, hand covering her mouth, shaking her head with tears swelling up in her eyes

"I'm sorry..." she said softly almost to herself and with her semblance dashed as far away as possible, closing the door behind her.

"Ruby wait!" Oscar tried yelling after her, but his feet didn't respond.

"I'll go after her and explain everything to her! Don't worry, this is my fault after all. I'm sorry, Oscar…I did something selfish against you…" she said as she got up and ran to the door but stopped as she grabbed the handle.

She turned back and he could see that she was looking at him with a serious expression. "But I will never regret it…" and with that, she ran out after Ruby…

He stood frozen in his spot unmoving, only thinking in the two girls that had played a big role in his life since he came into theirs. Then everything that Ozpin said made sense. "Nothing good would come of it…" He let his body go numb on the couch and closed his eyes…

He was aware…

That after that night everything had changed. Ruby had apologized, although apparently Weiss had told her that she had just wanted to tease Oscar and make fun of him. Evidently, Ruby maintained her distance from Weiss and hardly spoke to her only on necessary occasions. It was also known to him that Yang had found out, and she looked at him with disdain while looking at Weiss with what appeared was a bit of hate? Resentment? He could not figure it out…

Weiss had also maintained her distance from him. She told him once that she did not want Ruby to get the wrong idea…although sadly she already has. Ruby's interactions with Oscar began to dwindle, but increased with fellow members of their group…

He wouldn't lie, it hurt a lot...but he swore he would not hold it against Weiss. After all, he had done nothing to stop her that night, and so he was at fault as well. He figured Qrow also found out for he gave him a beatdown during training, literally knocking him out cold.

When he woke up his whole body ached. Ruby was there with him as well, making his heart go a mile a minute.

"You're finally awake!" she said with a smile…

"R-Ruby? What are y-you doing here?" Even after all this time, it still was hard to begin a conversation with her without stuttering.

She smiled at him. "Can't I take care of a friend? After all, it was Uncle Qrow who hit you a little bit too hard…" she said apological

Oscar shook his head. "Nah, don't worry about it. I've been through worse…" He smiled at her, and he appeared to have seen her cheeks go a bit of a pink hue. But he didn't have the chance to verify it because she stood up from her seat.

"Whelp, I gotta go catch up and tell Uncle Qrow that you're awake. He was feeling kinda bad about it…" she said as she began to leave, but in that moment he remembered that in past occasions when either of them got hurt they would stay for hours in each other's company talking about whatever came to their minds. It had been weeks since they held an actual conversation.

"Ruby?" he said with trepidation not daring to look up at her, but still could see from the corner of his eyes that she had stopped her advance. She didn't speak up, just stayed silent waiting for him to continue.

"What happened to us?" he asked in a timid voice, still not daring to look up at her.

Ruby kept on standing in the same place non-moving. "I don't know Oscar…things just felt…different between us…" she said without looking back…

He was aware….

That…"We're growing apart…you rarely talk to me anymore. Even in missions we used to be good battle partners, but now we get in each other's way…" Oscar said growing more saddened as the words kept on coming.

"You know, Weiss was worried about you as well…" Ruby changed the subject.

Oscar then looked up at her to see that she was still giving her back to him, not turning around from where she stood. "Why are you bringing Weiss up? I haven't even talked to her ever since-" he stopped when he saw her flinch.

"Yeah, I remember…very clearly." Ruby said almost to herself, but Oscar could still hear her.

"I thought she explained things to you." Oscar said almost getting up from the bed to reach her.

Ruby's hand formed fists. "Well guess what, Oscar? She lied." Ruby said, finally turning to look at him. No tears, no saddened eyes, just a stoic face. Oscar had never seen her like this…his blood ran cold…

"W-What do you mean she lied?" he struggled.

Ruby looked out of the window with a smile. "At first I believed her, and I was really, _really_ mad at her for doing something like that to you. But the more I thought about it, the more it didn't make sense. Weiss isn't that cruel, so I doubted her. Then one day I heard her speaking to Blake. Apparently she was wondering the same thing I was, but she asked her before me so…I eavesdropped…" Her gaze turned downcast if only for a moment before regaining its serious semblance.

"She likes you, Oscar… a lot," she said looking back at him. Oscar couldn't get a read on her emotions; this wasn't the same high-spirited Ruby he was used to. The smiles…the laughs…they were all gone.

"And if you do as well, don't stop just because of us. We'll all un-" she was beginning to misunderstand it all…

"Please stop…" he said suddenly, hands clutching the mattress. Ruby looked at him in wonder.

"I don't like Weiss, Ruby…" he said almost to himself, his tone was so soft that one would think he was sick.

Ruby blinked various times before asking, "What?" She waited for an answer but received none. She was bewildered to say the least. She was sure Oscar had at least some hidden feelings for Weiss…

"I-I mean what's not to like about her? She's beautiful, she has posture, she has-" and as the list kept going on, Ruby was using her fingers to count out all of Weiss's likable assets. But Oscar had spaced out. He was just looking at her with the same admiration as he always had, even in these moments she would always put others before her.

He smiled to himself. 'I'm sorry Ozpin…but I must do this…' he said to the professor inside him…

' _I will no longer stop you, Oscar. Do what you think is right for yourself and for the others…'_ Ozpin answered him in a calm voice. Oscar silently thanked him...

He smiled and looked up at Ruby who was still naming out all the good points about Weiss as she could think of when all of a sudden he blurted out, "But she's not you…"

Ruby stopped all of a sudden, frozen in her spot while eyes had gone wide. He could see as her silver eyes began to slowly come up to meet his hazel ones, he just smiled at her...and spoke once again just in case to make sure she heard him right. "Yes, Weiss may have all those good qualities you say, but the problem is…she is not you Ruby…she never will be… because the one I like…is you, Ruby Rose."

Her heart began to accelerate remembering all those times she had spent with him, and all those times she had wished to hear those same words come out of his mouth. She had dreamed about this moment, even fantasized about it. All she had ever wanted from him for a long time was to hear those words, but now…now she dreaded them. Her heart shattered when she caught them that night but was renewed when Weiss explained it to her. All to be shattered once again when she found out that Weiss actually did like Oscar, and she had thought that he liked her back…but now…she couldn't take this anymore.

Ruby began to shake her head violently. "No, no…I'm sorry Oscar…" she said fighting back the tears. She had wanted this, but…she would never forgive herself as well. Oscar remained perplexed, he could see her conflicted emotions but could do nothing about it…

Ruby once again shook her head and took a deep breath and looked at him with the same stoic expression she had shown him before. "I can't do that to Weiss. I'm sorry, Oscar, I just can't. Nothing good would come of it…I'm sorry…" she said the last part softly but he heard it. And with that, she turned around and walked out of the room…not knowing that the last few words she had spoken shook Oscar to his very core.

He chuckled at the irony; he had heard it from Ozpin. It hurt, and it had sunk in just enough for him to begin to say it. He had believed in those words…but also grown tired of them. He wanted a chance at happiness, a chance to try…yet those words have haunted him. And just when he had finally forgotten about them and tried to move forward, the person who he most cared about said the dreaded words to him once again. He could take it from Ozpin…but from her…it was the end…

"Nothing good would come of it…isn't she right…Ozpin? I guess after all this time you were right…" Ozpin stayed silent, and Oscar let the tears run down his face without making a single sound…

He was aware….

That his time was almost up. He didn't know how to explain it, but something in him was just screaming – yelling to him – that it was almost over. Some time had passed ever since his confession to Ruby; things never got better. She maintained her distance and he respected that. When Jaune confronted him on what had happened, he told him the truth. Jaune gave him a brotherly hug and told him that things would work themselves out, in time…

 _Time…_

Something he knew he didn't have much of any longer. He wanted to make more memories with them…he wanted them to have memories about Oscar…not about Ozpin, but about him. Good memories, bad memories…he wanted them to have something to remember him by, to prove that _he_ was there, that Oscar existed…but time was running out…

They settled camp in a small village near the shore after saving it from a massive Grimm attack. the villagers thanked them by giving them supplies and a place to stay for the night, but Oscar couldn't sleep. He feared that if he slept he wouldn't wake up as him ever again…

Ozpin had decided to stay unusually quiet ever since the feeling of dread came over him, almost as if he knew…which he probably did as well… "So, I guess my time… is up…" he said as he walked by the village watching the stars, the moon, the houses. Every single little detail he could possibly grasp in these moments to him were everything…though he silently wished that he could see even if for a single moment those wonderful silver eyes one last time. He came up to the shore to admire the sea…

After a while of being alone he heard some steps behind him "Couldn't sleep?" he asked at the wind.

"If you had stopped pacing around your room maybe I could have." Weiss said in her usual irritated tone.

Oscar smiled at the familiarity of it; it felt as if she hadn't spoken to him ever since that night. "I'm sorry for everything I've ever put you, Ruby, Nora, Ren, Jaune, Yang, Blake, and Qrow through. I know I was dead weight at the beginning and that you only saw the Ozpin inside me…but I fought and trained hard so all of you could see ME and not only him. thank Gods it worked…" he said still looking at the vast ocean.

Weiss was taken aback from the sudden confession. "Oscar? Is everything alright?" she asked in a worried tone taking a few cautious steps towards him.

He turned to look at her and Weiss in the moonlight could see that his aura was slightly glowing. Her eyes went wide. "No…." she said silently…

Oscar smiled at her. "My journey has come to an end, Weiss…my time… is up…" he said in a casual tone that made her eyes water.

She began to shake her head violently. "No, no, NO! Not yet! You still haven't made up with Ruby, you haven't explained everything to Yang, you- OZPIN! Don't do this to him! Not yet! Please!" she pleaded as she grabbed a hold of the front of his shirt looking into his hazel eyes.

He just smiled sadly at her. He took out from his pocket a green handkerchief and used it to wipe her tears, after which he handed the handkerchief to her. "Here, you may need it more than I will from now on. At least it will be a reminder that I existed here and now…" Those words only made her cry more and she hugged him tightly.

"I don't want you to go…you still haven't made up with her…you still haven't made up with me as well…!" she said softly into his shirt, his aura beginning to glow a bit more.

"To tell you the truth, neither do I. I don't want to disappear, I don't want to be forgotten, be left out from my own body…but it's just out of my control. And before you say it, it's out of Ozpin's control as well…" he said as he returned the hug, rubbing her back affectionately.

"I'm really sorry I couldn't return your feeling for me, Weiss. You mean a lot to me. You really do, it's just that…" he struggled to say the words.

"You love Ruby too much. It's okay…I've come to accept it. But I can't say I agree with it. She can be pretty dunce every now and then…" she laughed, and he joined in as well.

"Yes, I concur, but yes, I do love her too much…also, tell her I'm sorry I was a coward 'til the very end. she meant the world to me…also, tell Nora and Ren to hook up already, it's getting tiring just looking at them interact…" he said as he remembered a few moments with the not-yet-official couple.

Weiss just laughed. "Will do..." she said.

"Also tell Jaune, to please not hate Ozpin. He didn't have a choice in his host as neither did I. Destiny can be a cruel thing…please tell him if he ever considered me his brother, to please grant me that only wish." Weiss was probably against it as well because she said nothing but just nodded.

"Thank you…" Oscar said finally.

"Tell Ruby…" He was about to say more…

Weiss then suddenly jumped from her position remembering something. "I'll go wake them up so you yourself can tell her all that! So please hold on!" she said and didn't give him time to respond as she dashed as fast as she could to the house where everyone else was.

Oscar smiled to himself and turned to look back at the ocean. "They won't make it in time, huh Ozpin?"

' _I'm afraid not…I really am sorry Oscar. I never wished that this happen to you. You deserved a better life…a full one.'_ Ozpin said with a voice full of remorse. Oscar could hear his voice even more clearly than before almost overwhelming.

"So that's why you weren't speaking." He said amused. They remained silent for a while when Oscar began to feel dizzy…

He was aware…

"It's been a pleasure, Ozpin…" he said with a weak voice.

' _No Oscar, the pleasure was all mine. Thank you…"_ Ozpin said to him in a gentle voice.

He was awa…

"Thank you for allowing me to meet these great friends. I never thought…I could have so much in so little time…" He smiled as his feet gave in and he lay on his knees.

' _I'm sorry for restraining you from Miss Rose, Oscar…'_ Ozpin continued to apologize.

He was….

"No need to apologize…maybe it was for the best…just please take care of Ruby…" He spoke even more softly.

' _Over my own life, I promise you her safety.'_ Ozpin said with a firm tone. Oscar smiled; he knew he would keep his word.

He….

"Also take care…of Weiss for me…and Jaune…all of them. Take Salem down...and lead them to a better world…" he pleaded.

' _I promise you, Oscar…'_ he said to his vessel.

"OSCAR!" A voice shouted, and in a blink of an eye red rose petals fell from the sky and hugged him tightly. She turned him over and held him in her hands cradling him.

"Not…yet…" he firmly stated…

He was aw….

"Ruby…" he said softly. He expected to never see those beautiful silver eyes ever again…what he didn't wish to see with them were the torrent of tears that were streaming down her face.

"Oscar?! Oscar?! No please, NO! Stay with me Oscar, please! Please, professor, don't take him from me!" she pleaded in a desperate tone. He just smiled at her softly.

"You have…silver eyes…" he said to her calmly, remembering the first words he had ever said to her. She looked even more saddened upon hearing his words.

"You idiot! Why? Why did you not tell me? Why? Why did you not wait for me? Why are you leaving me? Why couldn't you have stayed longer with me? To fight side by side against Salem? Why Oscar? Why?" she asked as she tightened her grip on him, hoping that would keep him from fading.

He was….

"I wish…I could have…spent more time with you, Ruby…I wanted you…to see my farm…grow flowers with me…go to see a movie with me…be able to hug you more…see you smile…see you laugh…and…even if just once…I wish I could have….kissed you…I love you…Ruby Rose…" The words were now becoming a problem for him, he could barely keep his eyes open.

He…

Ruby nodded. "I wished for that as well Oscar…I… I-" She couldn't finish her sentence because in his last resort of strength he grabbed Ruby from behind her neck and pulled her in for a soft, tender, but sorrowful last kiss goodbye. Ruby cherished the moment and wished time could freeze so this moment would never pass. His lips against hers, she closed her eyes feeling electricity run through her body. In the moonlight Oscar's aura glowed strongly, then the wonderful feeling stopped and she opened her eyes to see that his eyes had finally closed.

….

She wished it wasn't true "Oscar?" she asked as she shook him with tears running down her face. She continued to whisper his name shaking the body of the boy. When she felt a strong pair of hands lift her and separate her from the boy, she wailed and buried her face in her uncle's shirt.

"I'm sorry Kiddo…I'm sorry Oscar..." he said to the memory of the boy. They picked up Oscar's body and took him back to the house they had taken as shelter. By the time they arrived Ruby had cried herself to sleep. No one spoke, none commented… Weiss relayed Oscar's last wish to Jaune, who made a hole in the wall with his fist, ultimately complying to his brothers' last wish. He would not hate Ozpin, but that didn't mean he would not feel resentment towards him.

Ren just held Nora as she silently cried for the loss of yet another dear friend. Yang was in her sister's room tending to her…

"It's going to be hard to look at Ozpin and not see Oscar…" Blake said standing beside Weiss who had left the house to get some fresh air.

Weiss clenched the green handkerchief. "No, Ozpin will never be Oscar…" she said as she looked at the stars.

The next day Ruby awoke, wishing that everything had just been a dream, but upon opening the door and walking into the living room reality sunk in and all it took was a look at the faces of everyone so she could know it wasn't a dream…

"Hey, sis..." Yang said as she got up from her chair and handed her a cup of hot chocolate. She silently thanked her sister and took a seat beside her…no one dared to speak, they only drank their chocolate in peace. Until her uncle came through the door.

"Hey there, Kiddo. How you holdin' up?" he asked Ruby

"I-I'll be fine, we all have to be..." she said more to herself. Qrow sighed and took out a wrapped box to place it in the table in front of Ruby.

Ruby looked back at her uncle startled. "It was in his belongings…it had your name on it. Guess it never reached who it was intended for…" he said as he walked away.

Ruby looked at the box and gently opened it only to find a black notepad with a red rose in the center. Its rims were also red. She took it out and opened it to see someone had already written in the first page. It read:

 _To a Beautiful Red Rose,_

 _I do not know if for when you receive this I will still be with you, Ruby. But if in the worst of cases I am not, I do not wish for you to cry so much for me. You along with every other member of the group made me feel as if I belonged somewhere. That my destiny was greater than just a farm boy._

 _I had many experiences with all of you, both happy and sad. But you made my life full of emotions that made it unexpected and thrilling. At first, I was scared, scared to die, to not belong, to being ignored. Then a certain Red Rose began to give me courage, give me strength in the weirdest circumstances. She saw me for who_ I _was, not for the man inside me…but for me._

 _That is something I will forever be grateful for. You gave me purpose, you gave me a reason to fight. Then one day you smiled at me, a simple yet innocent smile…and my heart soared. I knew in that moment that I was in love with you. But I could not tell you, apart from my fear of being rejected… many other things stood in the way…_

 _My beautiful Rose, my silver eyed maiden. My only wish for you is that you find happiness and that you have a life full of wonders and friends…I know you will beat Salem… you all have it in you…_

 _My beautiful Rose, my wonderful Ruby….I wish for you to know that you meant the world to me…I have and always will…forever…_

 _Love you…._

Silent tears fell down from Ruby's face, 'Idiot, you never let me tell you that I love you too...I always will…' The rest in the table stayed silent watching her and waiting for her next move. Yang was about to ask her sister if she was alright but, in a flash, Ruby stood.

"Alright gang! Let's get out there to train! We still have a lot of work to do! Let's go team RWBY!" They all stood in awe at the sudden motivation that Ruby had. It wasn't fake, it was genuine.

"Alright, but you'll have to spare with me." Weiss said as she got up and smiled at her leader who nodded at her. They all smiled and stood…and they followed Ruby out into the woods to train.

From the corner of the room came out Qrow, and a tanned young boy whose eyes now held an older yet firmer gaze. In his hands was a cup of hot coffee. "How ya' feeling, Oz?" he asked the boy.

"Guilty Qrow, as I have always felt. But even more so now than ever…" Ozpin said taking a sip of the black substance.

Qrow raised an eyebrow. He had never heard Ozpin sound so sorrowful "Why's that? How's it different from all the other times, Oz?"

Ozpin took a deep breath. "Because he was always aware, Qrow…"

He took another sip and Qrow just watched him. "He was always aware…that he would not get his happy ending…"

* * *

 _ **Welp that was it everyone I really hope you liked it and gave it a chance to read. If you got this far you have my never ending thanks :D**_

 _ **As I said before I posted this story long ago but I hope you liked the corrections made. I love you all and I would enjoy hearing your thoughts on this...**_

 _ **I'll be seeing you guys in my other stories :D**_

 _ **Kudoos...**_

 _ **Darman700...OUT**_


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